The Department of Economics and Business of CEU is a research-oriented department with an international faculty holding PhDs from some of the best universities in the world. We offer several Masters and two PhD programs. Our graduates are in high demand from both the private and public sectors; many pursue successful academic careers later on.

Alumni Profiles

"My years at CEU had a significant impact on my life, growing me both as a person and as a professional. I started this intellectual adventure coming form politics with a business BA. In CEU, -thanks to the openness and flexibility of my department-, I discovered the different areas of analytics and data science and have successfully shifted my focus to this exciting (and lucrative) field, essentially becoming the professional I am today. CEU have equipped me with the knowledge and confidence necessary to successfully compete on the job market and to always keep pushing myself further. Besides professional development, CEU is also a great place to meet unique and great people, making inspiring and valuable friends for life. Cannot recommend it enough."

"Tailored to meet the requirements of a wide range of industries, this program offers a unique and challenging opportunity to understand data behind business decisions. It provides a great snapshot of how big data transforms the way business is conducted today and demonstrates the latest concepts and state-of-the art tools to get into the forefront of the big data-based data analytics. The courses strongly encourage collaborative work among classmates from various firms and government organisations that results in a broader knowledge sharing as well as excellent networking opportunities. The program also offers a chance to learn from and interact with distinguished researchers and business professionals from all over the globe."

"Being an expert of data is without doubt one the most promising career path I can imagine. On the other hand mastering it, might be really challenging, because you need to be extremely up to date in several disciplines. This is where CEU excels, we got a carefully selected mix of materials, amazingly prepared instructors and inspiring colleagues to acquire the data driven mindset of the future.”

"It’s hard to explain in short how much CEU affects one’s life perspective and opens the eyes about the world of opportunities. The contemporary curriculum and teaching methods allow you to get a grasp of all layers of understanding of economics and how to get the best out of each one. It is then solely up to you to choose which direction you want your career to grow in: governmental, the real sector or academia. CEU makes sure of one thing - that you are prepared for all of these options and that whichever choice you make, you will be aware of your fellow colleagues’ work. I chose the fourth option: to move on to the corporate world but still contribute to scientific research and bridge the two worlds that should be ever so interdependent."

"CEU cares not only about professional, but also about personal development of its students. With its world-class faculty, very helpful staff and broad alumni network the University assists its students to start a successful career. And, of course, being a member of truly international and diverse, but united community guarantees an amazing social life."

"The Central European University (CEU) immerses you in a vibrant academic environment that prepares you to become a citizen of the world. The combination of world-class mentors and amazingly smart, compassionate, and inspiring classmates creates a unique atmosphere of shared learning and growth. The rigorous program of the Economics department and the support of my classmates and mentors inspired me to pursue a Ph.D. degree in Economics. Years after graduating, the most valuable gift that CEU offers is the expanding network of alumni friends with whom you really feel like close family."

"The two years spent at CEU have been fundamental to my academic, professional and personal development. The department’s distinguished faculty has always been happy to provide substantial guidance as well as financial support for my ventures in pursuit of academic knowledge and professional advancement. Last, but not least, having been part of the CEU community, I have created strong intellectual and friendship bonds with professors and peers which have lasted way beyond the completion of the MA program and up to this day."

"CEU’s international focus is truly exceptional. You will study in a diverse multinational and multilingual community, among some of the brightest students from the CEE region. The fact that our company holds regular recruiting events at CEU is a testimony to the high quality of its Economics programme."

"I have been recently nominated as the Regional IT Manager for West Africa at Unilever. My CEU MS in IT Management education has been a key differentiator during an otherwise very competitive recruitment process. I would like to thank all my great peers of the 2013-14 cohort and the wonderful faculty at CEU for the valuable learning experience I had during my time in Budapest."

“In my work back in Georgia I was feeling the need for further business-minded education in finance. I wanted to do a masters abroad, but did not want to stray too far or too long away from the professional world. The MS in Finance offered a lot of flexibility, excellent reputation and great value.

This American program in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities offers an international environment that is excellent for building professional networks. The curriculum is built to suit students with very diverse professional backgrounds. One of the strongest features of the program is the quality of teaching by CEU’s outstanding professors. The MS in Finance was a great experience and prepared me for new challenges in my career.”

“Having spent several years in management consulting and then in the inside strategy organizations of large multinational companies, I wanted to deepen my finance knowledge in certain areas. When selecting CEU it was important to me that the institution had a good reputation, an international curriculum and students from all over the world, and that I was able to work and study at the same time.

The School follows a pragmatic, Anglo-Saxon approach when it comes to teaching. Real life case studies, presentations from experienced business owners and managers, as well as CEU’s highly reputed professors all focus on transferring practical knowledge to develop future leaders. The MS in Finance program helped me develop skills that I could use immediately in my current job, including investment and enterprise valuation and identifying strategic acquisition targets."

"The MS in Finance provides holistic and intensive learning in finance. The classes are always interactive, stimulating and challenging. Students are equipped with skills and knowledge that provide a major competitive edge in today's job market.

CEU is also as much about diversity as it is about academic excellence. Students are from all over the world with very diverse professional backgrounds. In such a unique environment, the CEU experience becomes nothing short of amazing and a life-long relationship."

"The blend of high-level academic preparation and diverse social interactions make CEU a unique institution. The MA program in Economics got students with different backgrounds to achieve an excellent knowledge in modern Economics, comparable to material covered in top US PhD programs. Students work together, establish friendships and embark on life-changing career paths."

"I was an MA student in Economics at CEU. My professors inspired me to continue my studies and to become an academic labor economist. The challenging nature of the program helped me to easily get through the first years of my PhD at UC Berkeley, while CEU’s friendly environment is reflected by the numerous “mini-reunions” we’ve held with some fellow students at different parts of the world. CEU and its Economics and Business Department are treasures – the responsibility to live up to the opportunity they opened up for me still motivates me every day at work."

"The more distant memory our graduation (Econ' 2000) becomes, the stronger I realise how formative the CEU years had been for what eventually became of me. Four elements seem essential: (1) a first class, rigouros and systematic, training in economics per se; (2) focus on the region, especially with regard to policy issues; (3) proximity of other departments, equally top-notch, that allows for time-efficient interdisciplinary forays; and most importantly (4) the liberal atmosphere that encourages open-mindedness, diversity and rationality in intellectual endeavour. It is the last one that I cherish above all else now. Thank you, the founder, the faculty, and the friends! "

“The professors at CEU gave me the education I will always be grateful for. They not only taught me the challenging and well-structured graduate-level courses, but also taught me the foundations of rigorous empirical research, and how to evaluate research in economics critically. They encouraged and supported me to continue my studies in the best PhD program in Canada, and to be always very ambitious in my research - not only in my MA thesis, but in all my projects since then. The solid foundations they showed and taught made the hard transition from coursework to independent research much easier for me. They were, and still are role models to me; as excellent teachers, as impeccable researchers, and as extremely nice humans.”

"The PhD programme at the Department of Economics fully prepared me for an academic career. Both students and faculty are exceptionally talented and strongly motivited by the inspiring academic envirionment that is unique to the region. The University provides generous funding for attending international conferences, summer schools and also for visiting other universities. The Department also offers invaluable guidance to navigate the academic job market by simulating each and every stage of the recruitment process. This guarantees that students who wish to pursue an academic career have all the means necessary, similarly to students graduating from other top institutions in Europe and worldwide."

"The Economics Department at CEU runs an excellent and well-funded PhD program. The level of courses is on par with leading European universities, teaching load is limited, and there are many opportunities for research assistantships. The weekly seminar series features invited speakers from the best departments in the world. The faculty is accessible, supportive, and its strong focus on research provides an inspiring environment for PhD students. Peers are great, and so is Budapest as a city. I can't think of another place in Europe where I'd rather spent my graduate years."

“I believe I made the right choice when choosing the CEU doctoral program and the learning experience was very enriching. The faculty and my class were excellent and very cooperative and supportive in all aspects. The University also provided a lot of support throughout my studies, both regarding finances and the overall educational environment, including the library and the class selection. My studies provided me with the necessary background for my current work that involves technical advice to country authorities on tax policy issues, fiscal analytical work, policy impact analysis and empirical research. The skills acquired at the CEU allow me to be efficient in all these areas. The PhD program gave a good background in both macro and microeconomics and empirical analytical tools and I make use of this knowledge and skills every day of my work. “

“CEU has been a great experience for me both professionally and personally. I have received quality education that is highly valued around the world but I have also gained generic skills that allowed me to place myself easily in the industry. During my time at CEU I have met people from many different countries who became my good friends and with whom I stayed in touch ever after. CEU is not just a university to me, CEU is a place where I grew and matured into a self-confident adult well prepared for life."

“Studying at CEU was an amazing experience. We had the chance to learn from the best economics professors while we were in an exceptionally international environment where long term friendships were made. It was a hard and challenging 2-year program but it was definitely worth it as I am sure that I would not be in my current position without having the opportunity to study at CEU. Thank you!

“I had a pleasure of being one of the first students to attend the CEU which was located in Prague at that time. Having graduated from University of Łódź with MA in Economics, I went to Prague to deepen my economic knowledge.

One has to recognize that in early 90s, the chance of going to study abroad was particularly rare, hence the opportunity to study at the CEU was very exciting from the start. Students from all over Europe and highly qualified foreign staff created a truly international learning experience - something very unique in this part of Europe at this time. The content of the course was also dramatically superior to what I experienced studying in Poland during communist times.

After Prague I continued my academic career at the University of Lodz where I later earned a PhD. In the middle of the last decade I was appointed a Deputy Minister of Finance, responsible for taxation.

“It is not an exaggeration to say that CEU changed my life. Being exposed to great professors, not only from the economics department, helped me deepen my knowledge and structure of various economic and social phenomena. Thanks to the excellent training I received, CEU thus helped me to build my career, first in the central bank and now at the university. I hope that I will be able to pass at least the part of „CEU spirit“ on my students. Thank you CEU, I will never forget “

“The feature of CEU Master Degree is huge self-learning -- a student should learn many things by him/herself, analyze it, and try to practice through homework or other practical tasks. Now this helps me to develop myself day-to-day, learning many new things outside work and trying to improve my results at work. CEU taught me how to think big, because my program "Economic policy on global markets" required wide thinking about trade-offs in economy, new approaches in public finance and trade. This learning is very important because currently in global business environment a true leader should not only do a job well, but also see a big picture, finding new ways and opportunities, otherwise, competitors will win.”

“Studying in the Economic Policy in Global Markets program gave me the essential set of skills to understand, evaluate and even make recommendations with respect to economic challenges that countries throughout the World are facing nowadays. Looking back, I realize that this experience has been a true transformation for me, a transformation from an uninformed citizen subject to populist claims and manipulations of the politicians to an informed and unbiased economist capable of making objective conclusions.

This was mostly thanks to the outstanding Professors who guided us thorough this journey. It was an amazing feeling to have a chance to listen to the lectures and participate in the discussions with former finance ministers, IMF consultants, economists of the Central Banks who were now our Professors. This experience has been transformational also thanks to the fellow students from different parts of the World. Not only was this the most extraordinary class of brilliant students I have ever been part of, but also our class was like a miniature model of the World where students acted like ambassadors of their country's ideas, approaches and experiences with regards to various economic challenges. This was an invaluable opportunity to learn how some of the policies or ideas that once seemed unarguably true now became a ground for controversy and constructive dispute. This experience significantly changed my earlier perceptions and taught me that most of the challenges and issues that economies are struggling with are far more complicated than it may seem.”